Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Trigun: Welcome to Eden ❯ Knives Meets the Thompsans ( Chapter 3 )

Part III: Knives Meets the Thompsons

Weeks passed quickly in the Thompson home. Knives was still unconscious, but it seemed as if he would be getting well soon. Millie was recouping more quickly from Wolfwood's loss the more she was around her family. They bought her many things for the baby, be it boy or girl. Her spirits were high. So high that she had already decided she wanted to go where Wolfwood's orphanage was. It was about 300 iles from the town of December, but she didn't know the exact name of the town. For that matter neither did Vash nor Meryl. But it was decided that there is where they would go after leaving the Thompsons.

Meryl began working on a book. She was pretty secretive about it. She did not tell Millie what it was about, and whenever Vash tried to sneak a peak, she'd pound him. She would work on it at night and throughout the day. Meryl almost seemed possessed. And after every session of typing she would pass out on her desk. Vash figured this was her way with dealing with everything that had happened to them up to now.

Vash had been taken into the fold of the Thompson-and semi-Thompson-men, and everyday they would go out and show Vash around their town, trying to convince him and the girls to stay in Windling. But Millie had already decided where they were going and neither Vash nor Meryl had the heart to say otherwise. Eventually, they gave up and tried finding out how to get that far without too much trouble. They also tried finding Vash a job.

But while Vash was looking for a job and a way to get to the unknown town 300 iles from December, Meryl was writing and Millie was being cared for… Knives was waking up.

Oh, damn… Everything fucking aches. My arms, my legs… shit, my whole body. He tried moving his fingers. Okay, not much pain there… How 'bout my arm? He moved his arm slightly and pain shot through him. FUCK!!! Okay, don't do that again… But where the hell am I?

His eyelids were extremely heavy, weighing down with exhaustion. But he still tried to open them… Shit! Too bright! His eyes snapped shut and he grumbled. This was a severe pain. What the fuck is wrong with me? Where am I? He felt the comfort of a soft bed beneath him. He could feel the bandages around his wounds and the covers that tucked him snugly into the bed. There was a light scent of baking bread in the room, mingling with the scent of the day. He groaned again. Forget this. I am NOT going to lie here! I want to know what the fuck is going on and I'm damn well going to find out. He slowly opened his eyes again and let them get adjusted to the light filling the room from the window. From the looks of it, it was midday. But what day…? For that matter what year? How long had he been unconscious?

Knives blinked slowly, getting his eyes focused as he looked about the room. It was a simple room. On the right of him there were a couple of open windows with curtains. They were billowing slightly with the wind. A desk sat between the windows and on the wall next to it was a door that led to the bathroom. On that wall (which was the one across from him) there was a dresser with a small mirror and a bunch of pictures on the wall and on the dresser. To his left was the exit and a large comfy chair, a book open and face down on it. There was also a nightstand with a lamp, a plate of food there, half a sandwich uneaten.

His stomach rumbled and he cursed. Sure, taunt him with half a sandwich when he can't even move. Fuck it. I AM going to move, no matter how much I ache. With a deep breath, Knives heaved himself up into a sitting position. The pain shot through him so abruptly and quickly that he shouted an explicit curse that echoed down the hall outside his room.

He rolled his eyes. Great, now whatever stupid humans live here will come rushing up before I can eat the damn sandwich. Damn you, Vash. It's your fault I'm in this mess.

Knives did not have time to blink before someone rushed through the door. She must have been down the hall. She had light brown hair with highlights and aqua eyes. She blinked at him for a second and grinned.

"MONTY! Get off the couch and get Millie, Meryl and Vash!! Knives is awake!"

"I was wondering who the hell let that one out! He's got a worse mouth than me!"

The woman just shook her head and walked over to him. Knives' eyes were narrowed. Millie, Meryl, Vash? Vash is the one who brought me here? What the hell is that moron thinking?! She just continued smiling at him. She sat down at the foot of the bed and tilted her head to the side.

"You've got gorgeous eyes. I didn't know two guys as fine as you and Vash still existed. Vash is taken, but I hear you're still available."

What a strange woman. Has Vash told these people anything? Knives sneered. But before he could say anything, the door burst open with a hoard of people.

Vash was at the head.

"Knives! You're awake! And sitting up to boot. You've got to be in pain!" Vash grinned at his brother.

Knives wanted to jump out of bed and shoot that blasted smile of his brother's face. "No thanks to you, Vash. But I'm awake again and unless you shoot to kill this time, I'm going to be fifty times worse than before."

Vash blinked and then grinned. "Going to be kind of hard to do that, bro. I'm not letting a gun near you anytime soon, and you don't even had the strength to even lift one, let alone shoot it."

"What?!"

"You think if I'm going to shoot my brother, I'm going to shoot him in places that it's easy to recover from? Especially with a stubborn mule like you? No way in hell! You'll be bedridden for a while Knives, and in that time you can't do a damn thing but sit there, listen and watch." Vash marched over to his brother and ruffled Knives hair. Knives cursed at him. Vash grinned. "You don't have a damn choice."

Knives snarled at his brother and looked behind him to the hoard of people that were slowly gathering. A short dark haired woman sighed in relief and the tall woman beside clapped her hands.

"All right, Mr. Vash! Now that Knives is awake, we can get to work!"

Knives didn't like the sound of that. "Work? What the hell is she talking about, Vash?"

Vash scratched the back of his head and gave his brother a sheepish smile. "Hate to break this to you, Knives… Actually, I'd love to break this to you. These people pretty much know all about us. And I mean all. So, while you're stuck in bed, they're going to help me wear you down and snap some sense into you."

"WHAT?!"

The short dark-haired woman walked quietly toward him and gave him a gentle smile. "Mr. Knives as close friends of Vash and ex-representatives of the Bernardelli Insurance Society, it is our duty to reunite you with your brother and to make sure you do not cause the same destruction you did before because of this pathetic sibling squabbling and rivalry. Despite your opinions and beliefs your brother still cares deeply about you and will do pretty much anything to reform you."

The tall woman rolled up her sleeves. "Don't worry Mr. Vash, Meryl! The Thompsons will have Knives reformed in no time! He'll be cared for by this family, no doubt about it!"

Knives could feel the blood draining from his face and his head beginning to get dizzy. He did not know if it was from the pain he was keeping at bay or from the sheer horror of what they were planning. He righted himself and cursed them.

"Do you think I give a damn what a bunch of humans do and say to me? Taking care of me will be your own folly!" He sneered crazily. "Once I'm better I'll massacre-"

POW!

"FUCK!!!"

Knives turned wildly around pain ricocheting over every blasted nerve ending. He stared into thick glasses that protected huge blue eyes. The old woman's white hair was pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck and her gnarled hand was curled into a fist beside Knives' head.

"That, young man, was for your language. You should be thankful that you have such a fine brother like Vash who cares about his family despite their unsavory qualities. Young Vash has learned much in his many years of life, but I'm still wiser that both of you put together despite your age. Wisdom comes with aging. When you're old and wrinkled you notice more things about your life that when you're still young and able to do other things than just think. And you, young Knives, still have A LOT of things to learn about life."

"What the hell are pathetic little humans going to teach me about life? Your kind doesn't even live long enough to enjoy it. You just run around making your short, worthless lives miserable and consume everything in your path, even each other. You are nothing but wretched, powerless creatures who feed off my kind in order to survive!"

The old woman just shook her head. "You really are confused, aren't you, boy? Well, we'll right what's wrong in that foolish head of yours with time. But for now, I suggest you respect everyone here."

"Why the hell should I?!" Knives snarled at her.

"Because you're depending on us to survive." Knives stared at the old bag like she had grown two heads. She lifted a wrinkled eyebrow at him. "You're in our guestroom, we're taking care of you, healing you, feeding you and looking out for you. If you even want to attempt to kill any of us, you've got to get better first, and you need us to do it."

Knives cursed fluently and Grandma Julia sucker punched him across the jaw. The entire troupe of people winced as Knives fell unconscious back onto the bed. She humphed and looked at Vash.

Vash gulped as the old lady stared him down. Vash struggled desperately to fish the words out of his gut. "S-sorry, Grandma J-Julia. I-I'll a-apologize f-for-"

"No need, Vash."

Vash blinked and stared at her. She smiled widely. "He's just going to be tougher to crack than I thought. He's a stubborn one. But if there's good in you, then there's potential to be good in him."

Vash sighed. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into Meryl's worried face. "I don't know about that, Grandma Julia."

Everyone stared in silence at Meryl. She took a deep breath. "Vash and Knives are twins. They are Plants in human bodies… Perhaps, when they were born it was meant for one to be evil and the other good. Instead of being a balance in one body, the good and the evil were separated into two…"

Phillip Spencer (Tiffany's husband) shook his head. "Great deduction, Meryl, but I can disprove that theory."

Vash blinked and turned to face the white haired man along with everyone else present. Phillip grinned and fixed his glasses. "I've worked with Plants since I was able to walk and use my hands for something other than waving them in the air. Plants are not the kind of beings that would have any innate evil. I've always suspected that they were more than just strange ancient technology. When Vash and Knives came, I knew my suspicions were true. They're an alien species that traveled with us through space to find a new planet so we could work together. Unfortunately, we ended up on this planet, but we've managed to survive, with their help that is."

Tiffany narrowed her eyes. "Get to the point, dear."

Phillip blinked and nodded. "Yes, well, the point being that Vash and Knives were probably born to help humans communicate with Plants. In essence, they are what they are. Plants in human form, the Plant-like nature is peaceful, helpful, giving, protecting. But human nature can be that…and it can be evil. Vash and Knives are both. Knives' corruption is not because he is innately evil, and Vash's good-natured because he is innately good. They've chosen to be that way, because they are also human and can make that choice. You can also say we have a funny case of irony here. Knives who prides himself in being a Plant, superior to the humans, has completely taken in the obsession for power trait that is strictly found in humans. Vash, on the other hand, who is, quote 'the more human of the two' unquote, is actually more like a Plant in the sense that he has taken in the more peaceful nature of the Plants. Not to say, he doesn't have strictly human qualities. I've never seen a Plant in my day with a sense of humor. But then again, I don't understand them the way Vash and Knives do. Maybe I just don't get the joke."

Silence.

The Thompson clan stared blankly at him.

Millie shook her head, her eyes blinking in confusion. "I didn't understand a word of that. Did you get it, Meryl?"

Meryl's hair looked unkempt and her eyes were wide and unblinking. "Eh…?"

Vash stared at Phillip, realization pounding through his head. "My God…" He was suddenly faced with 25 sets of eyes.

"Nyao!"

Vash blinked and grinned sheepishly. "Uh…I got it."

Meryl punched Vash across the head. "Then start talking, needle-noggin'. And explain it in terms that we can understand." She shot Phillip a dirty look. He only laughed nervously as a sweat drop slid down the side of his face.

Vash sat in silence for a moment as he let his thoughts slide into place. "Basically, what Phillip was trying to say, is that me and Knives both have Plant and human natures to us. And, like humans, we have the free will to choose how we would like to be. Plants are peaceful, occasionally they'll panic, or get tired, but they're almost always peaceful. Humans can be peaceful and evil. Knives' decision to be corrupted, to hate, to desire power and destruction is only found in humans, not in Plants. And my decision can be found in both." Vash looked up at the people around him and smiled. "Phillip was right about the irony. Knives is so proud of being a Plant, but he's acting exactly like the humans he hates. And he calls me so pathetically human…but I act more like how a Plant is supposed to act. This is really messed up." He dropped his face into his hands.

He felt Meryl's hand at his shoulder again and he looked up into her gentle gaze. She grinned maniacally at him. "Wait till we tell Knives."

The entire group burst out laughing.

* * *

For the next week and a half, Knives woke up sporadically to curse at Vash, demand food, and threaten the Thompsons. He was now fully awake most of the day, though he did need constant rest (a.k.a. long naps with Kuroneko-sama in the middle of the day), and he slept like the dead during the night. He did not even find out that Vash slept by his side until his second day of full consciousness. The human girl Janie Thompson (who was incessantly flirting with him) was the one who gave him that piece of information as she fed him. Knives was humiliated beyond belief to be fed and, even worse, to have Vash or any of the other Thompson males help him to the bathroom and he always cursed them the entire way. Hurling insults and threats constantly.

One particularly humiliating event had to be when Janie offered to help him to the toilet. He still could not believe he had blushed so fiercely. And now she winked and blew him a kiss every time she saw him, no matter how much verbal abuse he threw at her.

To his extreme annoyance, no one seemed to care how many insults and threats he did toss. They just smiled at him, and told him jokes and stories. Didn't they realize, he was being deadly serious?! The moment he was better he'd blow the entire blasted town into smithereens! But no, they just teased and joked with them as if he'd been part of the family his entire life! He even knew all their names now! Grandma Julia would read him poetry every night on her shift. Monty joked with him constantly and told Knives all about his wild escapades with the women. Lina, the eldest of the children, sneaked into his room once and when he'd insulted her, she'd only tossed the abuse back at him a hundredfold. After their verbal war she would laugh and say "Thanks for the practice, Uncle Knives". She would invade his room just for the foul language training. And that woman, Janie, never ceased flirting and teasing him. She even stole a feel!

Knives noticed quickly who were the closest to Vash. Millie Thompson, the youngest daughter of this terribly annoying family, and Meryl Stryfe, the short dark-haired woman who was usually quite calm except when around his brother. Vash seemed to take her beating in leisure. Millie and Meryl were also best friends. They would be the first to go.

But as the days rolled by, Knives found out much more information. Millie was pregnant. With the child of the Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Chapel's student and Vash's best friend. How ironic. But that wasn't what surprised him. It was the fact that everyone in the house knew he had been the one to order Wolfwood's death. And no one, not even Millie, seemed the least disturbed by this. So he'd tried tormenting Millie with it when it was her shift.

"How can you stand it?"

Millie looked up and smiled at him. "Stand what, Mr. Knives?"

"Taking care of me. I ordered Wolfwood's death. I did absolutely anything that would hurt Vash. And taking his best friend from him was one I severely enjoyed. And yet you sit there and feed me as if I were a friend, a member of this family, when I am anything but."

Her smile never wavered. It was still as honest and caring as it had been moments before. "I know you killed Wolfwood just to hurt Mr. Vash, and you did. You hurt him and us really bad. But, Mr. Knives, you're confused, and you just don't seem to understand. You act more like a spoiled brat than anything else, and we've got to get you unspoiled."

"What?!"

Millie nodded. "Yup, just like a spoiled brat. A rotten spoiled brat. You have more power than us measly humans, so you think you can go and do whatever you want, just like a rotten spoiled brat. But you're very wrong, Mr. Knives. You can never, ever go out and just do whatever you like. Because in the end, everything you do wrong will catch up to you and bite you on the butt. You do the stuff you do for some twisted, sick way of getting attention. So what happens if we just stop listening to the spoiled brat?"

Knives sneered. "You all die."

Millie whacked him over the head with the spoon. "Wrong answer! We revolt. And no matter how tough you think you are, you can't take on a bunch of human with Plants by their side. You can't even beat Mr. Vash! And he and the Plants are all on our side. Sorry, spoiled brat. But you're all alone and no one's going to give you any more presents! Now be quiet and finish your dinner. You've got to get better, you know."

And that was the end of that conversation.

What was wrong with these people?! Nothing ever seemed to perturb them. No matter how rude, how insulting, how terrible he acted, they all took in stride. He even tried tormenting Meryl. He had noticed she had feelings toward his brother and tried tormenting her in that way… But all he got were several lumps on the head.

No one. Not a bloody soul seemed disturbed by him, they all accepted him as if he were the most normal of people. Didn't they realize that the moment he got a chance they were all dead?!

But they still did not react. They laughed at his insults, teased him, and tormented him. Ma Ellie Thompson even played with his food! (Not in the way you think.) She would make swooshing noises with the fork to get him to open his mouth and if he didn't she would pinch his nose till he did. One time, Knives decided to be especially stubborn and she dumped the soup all over his head. Vash had died laughing as he carried Knives to the tub to wash him off.

That was another humiliating event. Being bathed by his brother, because he could barely do it himself without feeling immense pain. What the hell had Vash done to him in their last fight to leave him so helpless?!

But no matter what happened… he would never give in to what they wanted.

* * *

"Vash?"

"Worried again, Meryl?"

"Well, I can't help it! No matter how hard we try, he just seems to get more stubborn and nastier! What are we going to do?"

"Don't worry so much, Meryl. We've got the Thompsons, and from the looks of it, they're gods and breaking someone into goodness. Maybe we should send all prisoners here for reformation."

"Vash, for the love of god, I'm trying to be serious!"

"I am serious."

POW!

"Ooowwww!!! Why do you have to be so violent!"

"Oh, stop whining. Your brother has a harder head than you and seems no matter what we do, we're not getting through to him. I am seriously worried here!"

"You're wrong about not getting through to him, Meryl."

"What do you mean?"

Silence.

"What the hell are you grinning about, needle noggin'?!"

"I was just remembering Ma Thompson's donuts… God, I thought I had died and gone to heaven~! They were so delicious!!"

KAPOWIE!!!

"aaaaaaaa…"

"YOU IDIOT!! Now is not the time to be dreaming of donuts!!"

"Meryl?"

"WHAT?!"

"Don't worry about Knives too much. We still haven't played our trump card."

"Trump card? Oh, you mean-!"

"Mm-hmm. So fret no more!"

Sigh…

"Hey, Meryl?"

"What, Vash?"

"Want to go to the bar? Hear the local jazz band playing there tonight. Luke told me he's a saxophonist. Want to hear him play? Besides, I've been meaning to talk to Ally. She's the big sister Millie always told us about and there's some things I'd like to ask her."

"… All right, Vash. Hey, have you gotten anymore details on the town 300 iles from December?"

"Only that a bus heads out over there from December only once a month. When we do go, it's going to be a rough ride. Especially for Knives."

"I think your brother can take it."

"I think so too."

"Do you think he'll be better by then?"

"Physically, he'll still be in plenty of pain… Mentally? Who can say? Shall we go?"

"Um… let me get changed into something more appropriate."

"But I think you look cute in your nightshirt!"

POW!!!

"Why are so violent~~?!"

"Oh, stop whining!"

Laughter. Footsteps walking away.

Knives opened his eyes. Trump card? What the hell could that be?

* * *

Iles away…

"What do you mean they quit?!"

The chief of the Bernardelli Insurance Society looked up at the haggard preacher and sighed. "Just what I said, Mr. Preacher… I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

Wolfwood groaned. "Nicholas D. Wolfwood!"

"Yes, well, Mr. Wolfwood, I regret to inform you that both Millie Thompson and Meryl Stryfe are no longer with the insurance company. They handed in their notices and walked out of this office about three months ago. I haven't seen hide nor hair of them in about that time."

Wolfwood stared at the pudgy man in frustration. His last cigarette was smoldering, he hadn't slept in two days, and his patience had flown out the window along with the last of his cash. He put his cross on the man's desk with a loud crunch. The man jumped in his seat.

"Listen very closely, mister. I've just traveled over 1,000 iles to get here from March, the last 500 in two days without stopping to sleep. I'm tired, hungry, and broke and in a very upset mood right now. I'm pretty sure I've driven my new bike into the ground and that it'll probably not work again anytime soon. So you could at least have the decency to tell me WHERE THE HELL THEY WENT!!!"

Employees of the Bernardelli Insurance Society stared at the scene in their boss's office with wide-eyed interest.

The man gulped. "Home."

"Excuse me?" Wolfwood said taking one last puff as the cigarette cindered into ash and fell on the desk.

"They didn't tell me exactly where they were going. They only said they were going home for short while. Whether they're still there remains to be seen. But this was three months ago. Who knows where they are now?"

Wolfwood cursed.

"Um…"

"What?" Wolfwood shouted at him in frustration.

"If it helps any, they were with a blond, spiky haired man whom they called-"

"Vash. Yeah, yeah, I know Vash is with them. I wouldn't expect any less. Shit…" He shook his head and then pounded his fist on the desk. "Do you have any idea what a pain in the ass it is to try and find him?! Took me forever to locate him in the first place and he's really keeping a low profile! Argh! I'm going to go insane~!!! Where the hell are they?!?!?"

Wolfwood took a deep breath and turned to the pudgy man with a smile. "Sorry 'bout that. But this trip has been a real hell. I've been trying to catch up to them with impossibly no luck. It would be really helpful if you could at least point me in the right direction."

The man pointed due north.

Wolfwood smiled pleasantly. "Thanks again. So sorry for the inconvenience and the dramatics. It's been a taxing trip all right." Wolfwood lifted the cross with one arm and waved. He walked out of the place whistling.

The chief blinked as his desk creaked and collapsed. "Nyao!" Kuroneko-sama jumped out from the rubble.

"What the hell is going on here?"

* * *

A week later…

"I've gotten stronger, Vash."

Vash looked up from his book at his brother. Knives was smiling coldly at him as he flexed his fingers. "Today, that woman, Shannon and her husband Andrew Thompson, let me hold their baby." Vash watched his brother turn his gaze to his flexing hands. "My arms didn't shake with the baby's weight. My fingers curled around its small body without pain. I didn't realize until she had taken the baby back how fragile it really was. Even without much strength I could have easily killed it. One less human to worry about growing up and becoming a consuming little demon. Another one dead… so easily…"

Vash shot up off his seat, horror shooting through his body. His book fell harmlessly to the floor. Dear god, no. After all this time… After all this…he's still thinking about killing? Still feeling this hatred, this obsession with power?

"You look horrified, Vash."

Vash's eyes focused and he stared at his brother's smirking face. He shook his head and sat down again. "Knives…just because one human feared you and hated you, doesn't mean that they all do. It doesn't mean you have to destroy them all. How would you feel if humans only judged Plants because of what you do?"

Knives laughed. "Humans don't dare. They need the Plants to survive. Besides, they're too stupid to connect me with the Plants."

Vash stared at his brother's face. All he saw in his eyes was contempt. Was there absolutely nothing he could do to bring his brother around? Time for the trump card.

"Knives… they would be so ashamed of you."

Vash watched his brother blink in surprise. A sneer then twisted on his face. "What gabble are you talking now, Vash?"

"The Plants. Our kind. They would be so ashamed of you."

Knives' eyes narrowed fiercely. I got his attention now. Bull's eye. "What the hell are you talking about, Vash?"

Vash shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "To think. You pride yourself so much in being a superior being. In being a Plant, something that these weak, pathetic humans need to survive, but in reality you don't act like a Plant. You act just like the humans you proclaim to hate so much. You act exactly like them."

"What did you say…?!"

"You heard me, Knives. Your hatred, your rage, your obsession with power… Those are pure human traits. No Plant feels that way about others of its kind or the humans. They don't want power, they don't want to rule everything. Humans do. Humans want control, they want to own and take over everything. They hate. Plants don't hate. They've never hated. But you, Knives. You hate. Just like every human you hate. You're just like them. You're nothing like a Plant."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Humans enslaved us! We have every reason to hate! To hate them! To control them! We are the more powerful!"

Vash shook his head. "Listen to you. You sound like every corrupted human I've stopped and turned in. Power. Hate. Control. Plants don't have this desire. They never did. When they traveled with the humans they chose to. They chose to become the humans' partners in finding a new world. They chose to help them. And you and I were the only Plants born with human and Plant traits. You chose to show your corrupted human side. I chose my good human side and my natural Plant side. The only one here who is corrupted is you! Just like every other corrupted human you hate! But surprise, Knives! Look at this family! The Thompsons! Not a dollop of hate in them. Of corruption. I've met so many humans like them. So many humans that are more like Plants than you could ever hope to be!"

Knives reached out and grabbed Vash's shirt. "Damn you, Vash! What the hell do you know?! How do you know what they want? Who they are? We were the first Plants born with free will. They don't know that they're enslaved!"

"Ehhhh! Wrong answer! Plants do have free will. I know… I've been in contact with more Plants over the last 150 years than you. We were just the first ones born in human bodies. And are you curious as to know why? I had a little help figuring this one out, but then I asked the Plant in this town if it was true. Do you want to know what our purpose really is, Knives? Why we were born? That's what has been really tormenting you. The not knowing. Are we meant to kill the humans and find freedom for the Plants? Are we meant to be enslaved? What is our purpose? WHICH ONE OF US IS RIGHT?!?"

Knives was silent as he stared up at Vash. Vash closed his hands over Knives' grip on his shirt. Vash smiled at his brother. "We were meant to be the communication. Humans can't understand the Plants. We can understand both, because we are both. Our purpose, Knives, was to make the partnership between Plant and Human more complete, more unified. We're supposed to make the humans understand the Plants and help the Plants understand the people more. And that's what I've been doing since I found out. Been helping the people of this town understand the Plant so much that they won't need me soon enough. That's what we were born for. No matter how long it takes. We were born to keep the peace. Not to make war."

Knives shook his head and released Vash's shirt. He slowly leaned back and fell against the bed, his eyes staring at the ceiling. Vash watched him warily at first, then with concern. "Knives…?"

"Go away, Vash… I'm suddenly very tired…"

Vash nodded and stood up. He turned off the lamp, so the only the light of the moons filled the room through the windows. Vash looked down at his brother for one more moment, before turning away and leaving the room. He opened the door and then whispered back to his brother. "Good night, Knives. I love you, brother."

Vash closed the door behind him.

Meryl stood before him with worried eyes. Vash smiled down at her lovely face. He opened his arms and pulled her into his embrace. Her warm arms wrapped around him and stroked his back. Vash wept into the softness of her hair and held her tightly.